Austin Green is an undefeated prospect who is scheduled for a big opportunity on UFC Fight Pass this weekend, but he’s also building a career in professional wrestling, as well. Can he reach the heights of both industries? He sure hopes so. Green previews his Fury FC 78 headliner, discusses his dual passions, and expresses his desire to make it the big show as quickly as possiblt.
Check out the full interview in the video above, or read the transcript below.
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John Morgan: It is ‘The Bodyguard,’ Austin Green, the undefeated heavyweight prospect. You’ve got a big matchup on UFC Fight Pass, April 23. We’re just a little bit out, man. Give me the thoughts. I mean, looking on paper, this looks like the biggest fight of your career as far as I’m concerned. Are you feeling the same way?
Austin Green: Oh, yeah. It’s definitely the biggest fight, the toughest opponent. There’s a lot riding on this fight right now. The stakes are high. Opponent’s got a lot of experience. So yeah, it’s definitely going to be my toughest challenge.
JM: I love that, and I love that you’re kind of like taking that all in. I mean, is that your approach is to realize the enormity of the moment. I mean, obviously there’s going to be bigger moments down the road, but sometimes I know people try to downplay it a little bit and say, ‘Well, it’s just another fight. It’s just this,’ but this feels like a big moment.
Austin Green: Oh, yeah, definitely. Nah, I like to keep it real. I don’t like to kind of play around. Like this is definitely a tough challenge. It’s a tough opponent. Just having that mentality is what keeps me pushing harder in the gym, so you can’t downplay anybody.
JM: I love it, man. Well, you’re a man of many talents. I’ve got to ask, how did MMA become a passion of yours?
Austin Green: Well, I’ve always been a fan, you know, ever since watching ‘Rampage’ Jackson back in the day. Really watching him was what got me into MMA, which is exactly why I walk out to the cage with the chain, just paying respects to my favorite fighter. But as far as like training, I’ve always wanted to train, but I just never knew where to go to train, and then I finally had a buddy pulling me in the direction of like a gym to go to, and then once I found that gym, I’ve just been going ever since.
JM: That’s awesome. So did you do any type of martial arts or wrestling or anything growing up, or was it jus one day you said, ‘Let’s go’?
Austin Green: Yep. Just came from football was like, ‘You know what? I’ll give it a shot, see what we can do,’ and then been going ever since.
JM: I love it. So when you got in there, was it passion right away, or was it a little bit like, ‘I don’t know about this,’ or did you say, ‘This is it for me’?
Austin Green: No, this was as soon as I started my first jiu-jitsu class, rolling around, just learning, like it was a passion because like I used to – in the football locker rooms, everybody would always tell me I should do MMA because, like, we’d always be in the back wrestling and just kind of grappling around, and even when I was in the military, like all we did when there was nothing to do was wrestle around and just kind of have fun grappling, you know? Wrestling with your buddies and stuff, so I was always into the grappling and wrestling aspect, and then when I finally started learning how to do stuff, it just blew up.
JM: That’s awesome. Well, it’s going really well for you, but this is what I find interesting, right? I mean, things are going really well for you in your mixed martial arts career, and yet things are going really well in a professional wrestling career, as well, right? I mean, you made an AEW appearance. I mean, talk to me about that. You know, it’s interesting. You say ‘Rampage’ is your favorite fighter. I mean, I definitely think, as we all do, of ‘Rampage’ as a showman who really, you know, could have done amazing things, I think, in professional wrestling, so has professional wrestling always been a passion, as well?
Austin Green : Yeah. Before, when I was a kid, just growing up, I used to love watching wrestling. And, you know, when you got brothers and sisters, you go out on the trampoline and sometimes you you’re out there wrestling on the trampoline, just kind of pretending like you’re the champion, and so I’ve always had a passion for wrestling, and once I finally found a school to train at, like, I took off with that, and like, it’s just been kind of going in both directions with wrestling, fighting –just, I love it.
JM: It’s pretty incredible. I mean, you’re reaching the highest levels of both those two different industries, so what do you think? I mean, is balancing the two possible. Like, do you train both simultaneously, How do you balance things?
Austin Green: Yeah, I do train both simultaneously. Like I normally, I would go to wrestling practice, you know, maybe two, three days out the week when I’m not in camp. When I’m in camp, I’ll still go maybe like one day out the week, just because it’s still a really good workout and like a cardio workout, for sure. It pushes my lungs, so I’ll still do that and train, but I’m always like, MMA, like I’m always training that three, four days, five days out of the week.
JM: So let me ask you, I mean, at this level, you can do both. You make it to the UFC, you know, those UFC contracts, I don’t think they’re going to want you over there doing any professional wrestling. Like, if you could only do one or the other, is there one that you would like to do at the highest level that means the most to you? Or do you want to try to balance both?
Austin Green: I would love to try to balance both if I could. You know, because like, my passion is both, so I would love to try to balance both, but I mean, if I had to pick and choose which one, like it would just – I don’t even know at this point, honestly, which one I would choose yet.
JM: That’s fair enough. Well, you got options on the table, so that’s a good thing for you, man. It’s never a bad thing to have choices available. So the next step in the MMA career, April 23, Houston, Texas, Juan Adams, four-time UFC veteran. ‘The Kraken.’ People will certainly know him. Give me give me thoughts on the matchup. What do you think about him as an opponent?
Austin Green: I think he’s a really good opponent. You know, his wrestling is where he’s really strong at. You know, he’s been in the game a long time, so, you know, the simple stuff, you know, you’re going to have to – it’s going to be one of those fights where I’m going to have to dig deep and really, like, go down in the well and try to – I’m going to have to push the pace, you know?
JM: Win here moves you to 6-0, and I mean, you know, at heavyweight in mixed martial arts, man, you can move up the ladder real quick. So I mean, are you already eyeing like, ‘Hey, maybe I can get a Contender spot or maybe Bellator, ONE Championship’? I mean, are you eyeing big shows already or do you feel like you’re still in that learning process that you need some more time under your belt?
Austin Green: I’ve talked to my management a lot, like I’ve told them, because I’ve seen a lot of heavyweight matchups coming up, and I’ve sent them to my management like, ‘Hey, let me know if they need a backup for those. I’m ready to go.’ So I’ve been on my management a lot about just trying to, you know, if something happens last minute, let me go in there or any matchups come available, like I’ll take them like I’m ready to go.
JM: I love it. So short notice, no problem. Just give me the invite.
Austin Green: That’s it. Just whenever. Send me the call.
JM: Phenomenal man. Well, listen, things are going great for you, and again, at this stage in your career as a heavyweight, especially, you know, those big opportunities might be around the corner, so knowing that, I mean, you’ve laid out how much respect you have for your opponent, how much respect you have for the opportunity. Do you feel like you’ve got to go in there and do something special? Like you’ve got to create that highlight-reel moment, that viral clip or whatever that gets the call? Or is it really like, ‘Let’s just go in and get the wins, you know, by whatever means necessary’?
Austin Green: I mean, I’m really just trying to go in there and get the win at this point by like, you know? I mean, I’m always like if the viral knockout comes or something happens and I’m able to give like a really nice highlight, like, that’s cool, but I’m not going in there trying to chase that because I feel like if you go in there trying to chase that, then that’s when mistakes happen. You get caught or you mess up, something like that, so I’m just really just trying to go in there, get the win by any means necessary, and if something big happens, then that’s great, too.
JM: I love it. Any other professional wrestling appearances planned right now, or do you just kind of wait for the call on that?
Austin Green: Right now, nothing planned at the moment. Maybe a couple of dark tapings when they come up, but nothing at the moment. I’m just kind of focusing on this fight for this week. Then after this week is over with and after this fight is over with, then I’ll probably start booking some more stuff, but right now, this whole week is just focusing on this fight.
JM: I love it, man. Well, you’ve got two simultaneous budding careers, man, and they both seem to be going really well for you. Maybe it’ll be even better after April 23. Main event. UFC Fight Pass. Austin, thanks for the time, brother. Wish you the best of luck, and we look forward to seeing where it leads you.
Austin Green: Thank you. I appreciate it.
